What’s the best step coffee brands can take to support farmers?

Last month consumers were encouraged to switch to independent coffee shops after major brands including Costa, Caffè Nero and Starbucks scored poorly in an assessment of their social and environmental impacts.

In response, Starbucks said it had recently been able to verify that 99% of its coffee supply chain is ethically sourced through a partnership with Conservation International and directed readers to its most recent global responsibility report.

Costa meanwhile, owned by Whitbread plc, claims that 100% of the coffee beans it uses come from Rainforest Alliance certified farms, a label that covers both environmental and social objectives.